Granted Patent B2

US 12,540,269 · App. 17/551,051 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Inventors: Hasmukh A. Patel (Katy, TX); Ali Zein Khater (Houston, TX); Peter Boul (Houston, TX); Pulickel M. Ajayan (Houston, TX); Muhammad M. Rahman (Houston, TX)

Assignees: William Marsh Rice University; Saudi Arabian Oil Company

C09K8/467C04B22/0093C04B24/02C04B24/2647C04B28/02E21B33/14C04B2103/0079C04B2103/50C04B2111/00146C04B2111/00181

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A method for cementing a wellbore, the method comprising:

forming a slurry comprising a cement-based matrix, water, a polymer-based additive, and a rheology modifying agent;

mixing the slurry to form a printing ink;

introducing the slurry and a printer into a wellbore; and

forming a cement-based composite structure in the wellbore by printing a plurality of layers using the printing ink;

wherein introducing the slurry and the printer into the wellbore comprises running the printer downhole in the wellbore on a wireline.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising direct ink printing a second cement-based composite structure outside the wellbore before introducing the slurry and the printer into the wellbore.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising testing material properties of the second cement-based composite structure outside the wellbore before introducing the slurry and the printer into the wellbore.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the slurry and the printer into the wellbore comprises running the printer and attached supply tubing downhole in the wellbore.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising pumping the slurry downhole to the printer through the attached supply tubing.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming a slurry solution comprises mixing the cement-based matrix with the polymer-based additive, wherein the polymer-based additive is polyrotaxanes.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein forming a slurry solution comprises adding the mixed cement-based matrix with the polyrotaxanes into the water solution.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein forming a slurry solution comprises adding the polycarboxylate ether and defoamer to the slurry solution.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the defoamer comprises 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the rheology modifying agent comprises a hydrophilic bentonite.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cement-matrix comprises Class A, Class B, Class C, Class G, Class H, or combinations thereof.

12 . The method of claim 11 , where forming the slurry solution comprises adding 77 g of cement-matrix in 23 g of water, 70 g of cement-matrix in 30 g of water, 60 g of cement-matrix in 40 g of water, 50 g of cement-matrix in 50 g of water or combinations thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the cement-based composite structure further comprising curing the plurality of printed layers under ambient conditions.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the cement-matrix comprises adding polyrotaxanes additive between 0.5% and 20%, between 1% and 10%, and between 2% and 5%, or other % within these ranges and based on the weight of the cement present.

15 . A system for cementing a wellbore, the system comprising:

a slurry pumped into a wellbore comprising a cement-based matrix, water, a polymer-based additive, and a rheology modifying agent and configured to form a printing ink;

a printer deployed into the wellbore as part of a wireline assembly, the printer comprising a printing head with the printing ink and configured to print 3D cement-based composite structures by depositing a plurality of layers of the printing ink when pressurized; and

a supply tubing attached to the printer and operable to pass the pumped slurry to the printer and begin the cementing of the wellbore by printing the 3D cement-based composite structures.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the printer is attached to a reservoir downhole and operable to pass the pumped slurry to the printer and begin the cementing of the wellbore.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the polymer-based additive of the slurry is a polyrotaxanes.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the rheology modifying agent of the slurry is a hydrophilic bentonite.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the cement-based matrix of the slurry is Class A, Class B, Class C, Class G, Class H, or combinations thereof.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (308)